WASHINGTONU.S. Sen. John Cornyn a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Republican leadership was interviewed on ABCs This Week" by George Stephanopoulos. He discussed the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court opposite Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. Excerpts are below; click here to view the full transcript.
Sen. Cornyn Is Committed To A Fair Process For Judge Sotomayor:
What youll see from our side of the aisle during these hearings is members of the Judiciary Committee and senators who are not willing to prejudge or pre-confirm any nominee but are committed to a fair process and one that allows Judge Sotomayor to explain what the context is for all this and what her true feelings are.
So I think the most important thing that can happen here is everybody take a deep breath calm down. Lets take our time lets review those 17 years of federal judicial history and lets ask the nominee some questions in a dignified Senate process."
Sen. Cornyn: We Need Not Pre-Judge Or Pre-Confirm:
Im not willing to judge one way or the other George because frankly we need to not prejudge not pre-confirm and to give Judge Sotomayor the fair hearing that Miguel Estrada and indeed Clarence Thomas were denied by our friends on the other side of the aisle."
Sen. Cornyn: This Is In Stark Contrast To The Way Miguel Estrada & Clarence Thomas Were Treated:
I might say thats in stark contrast to the way Miguel Estrada was treated somebody who was on a path to become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and Clarence Thomas somebody with a compelling story like Judge Sotomayor but who was subjected at least in his words to a high-tech lynching.
Miguel Estrada immigrated from Honduras. He couldnt speak English when he was 17 years old came here graduated from the two top schools in America and rose to the very top of the legal profession. And yet he was filibustered by Democrats who denied an up-or-down vote in the United States Senate. Now can you imagine if the shoe were on the other foot today?"
Sen. Cornyn On Important Questions He Will Ask Judge Sotomayor:
Well there are a lot of important questions. Weve talked about some of them this morning. We need to know for example whether shes going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us. And you know this promise of equal justice under the law is not just a motto emblazoned above the Supreme Court this is the standard. And indeed by ignoring a genuine constitutional issue about reverse discrimination in the New Haven firefighter case you know the comments she made about the quality of her decisions being better than those of a white male -- I mean we need to go further into her record to see whether this is a trend or whether these are isolated and explainable events."
Sen. Cornyn On Importance Of Judges Being Impartial Umpires":
Well of course George the concern is that above the Supreme Court it says Equal justice under law. And its doesnt -- shouldnt make any difference what your ethnicity is what your sex is or the like.
We would also hope that judges would be you know umpires impartial umpires. And you know the focus shouldnt be on the umpire and what their sex or gender is or their ethnicity. It ought to be on the game. And here its on the rule of law I agree."
WASHINGTONU.S. Sen. John Cornyn a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Republican leadership was interviewed on ABCs This Week" by George Stephanopoulos. He discussed the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court opposite Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. Excerpts are below; click here to view the full transcript.
Sen. Cornyn Is Committed To A Fair Process For Judge Sotomayor:
What youll see from our side of the aisle during these hearings is members of the Judiciary Committee and senators who are not willing to prejudge or pre-confirm any nominee but are committed to a fair process and one that allows Judge Sotomayor to explain what the context is for all this and what her true feelings are.
So I think the most important thing that can happen here is everybody take a deep breath calm down. Lets take our time lets review those 17 years of federal judicial history and lets ask the nominee some questions in a dignified Senate process."
Sen. Cornyn: We Need Not Pre-Judge Or Pre-Confirm:
Im not willing to judge one way or the other George because frankly we need to not prejudge not pre-confirm and to give Judge Sotomayor the fair hearing that Miguel Estrada and indeed Clarence Thomas were denied by our friends on the other side of the aisle."
Sen. Cornyn: This Is In Stark Contrast To The Way Miguel Estrada & Clarence Thomas Were Treated:
I might say thats in stark contrast to the way Miguel Estrada was treated somebody who was on a path to become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and Clarence Thomas somebody with a compelling story like Judge Sotomayor but who was subjected at least in his words to a high-tech lynching.
Miguel Estrada immigrated from Honduras. He couldnt speak English when he was 17 years old came here graduated from the two top schools in America and rose to the very top of the legal profession. And yet he was filibustered by Democrats who denied an up-or-down vote in the United States Senate. Now can you imagine if the shoe were on the other foot today?"
Sen. Cornyn On Important Questions He Will Ask Judge Sotomayor:
Well there are a lot of important questions. Weve talked about some of them this morning. We need to know for example whether shes going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us. And you know this promise of equal justice under the law is not just a motto emblazoned above the Supreme Court this is the standard. And indeed by ignoring a genuine constitutional issue about reverse discrimination in the New Haven firefighter case you know the comments she made about the quality of her decisions being better than those of a white male -- I mean we need to go further into her record to see whether this is a trend or whether these are isolated and explainable events."
Sen. Cornyn On Importance Of Judges Being Impartial Umpires":
Well of course George the concern is that above the Supreme Court it says Equal justice under law. And its doesnt -- shouldnt make any difference what your ethnicity is what your sex is or the like.
We would also hope that judges would be you know umpires impartial umpires. And you know the focus shouldnt be on the umpire and what their sex or gender is or their ethnicity. It ought to be on the game. And here its on the rule of law I agree."
